For the Love of Danger
by forbiddenstars
Summary: AU. The Seishun team investigates an intriguing criminal nicknamed Prince. What they find is beyond anything they could have suspected. Loyalties are questioned and hidden pasts brought to light, while a spider dangles in the dark. Who is tangled in the web, and who is free? Ch 7 up.
1. Chapter 1: Unexpected Connections

Hello everyone!

I decided to give this entire story a rewrite, since I felt that the base idea merited a second try. My writing style has decidedly improved in my 3 year hiatus, so hopefully you will find this a better read. FTLD still has a hold on my imagination, so I'm happy to give it another try.

Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and alerts, having hope in me despite my long and unannounced hiatus. I really appreciate it. (: enjoy!

* * *

"Team Seishun 6-count reporting for duty."

"Ah, Tezuka. It's good to see you. You see, Tokyo Police Department has been having a problem. A problem called Prince."

Her carefully chosen words were met with silence. Always so hard to get a reaction from this one, so disappointing.

"Are you familiar with the name?"

"Yes. He's a thief that has so far eluded capture despite tightened security and increased watch. As of now, the list of stolen items has reached a record high of forty high-value objects in the span of two weeks."

"I'm glad to hear you know. Because-"

"So our next assignment is to apprehend Prince."

She twitched, careful not to let her smile slip. No matter what anyone said, Tezuka of Team Seishun was _definitely_ a brat.

Calmly taking a breath, she continued, "Good, good. I'm glad you understand. This warrant will take you off of Major Crime Response Team duties for a year. As of now, your team has been assigned to the Prince case. We will reassess the situation and warrant every six months or as needed."

"Understood."

* * *

"Hmm…so our next job is to catch this prince?" asked Fuji, draped lazily over the sofa.

"Yes, Fuji. That is the fifth time you've asked." Tezuka replied from where he sat in a chair, reading case files.

"Well, I'm sorry for trying to make sure."

"…."

"By the way, how much data does Inui have on him?" As he spoke, a shadow appeared behind him with two glinting squares of glass for eyes.

"Prince, real name unknown. First appearance, five months ago. Average statistics unknown. Item of highest value stolen, government seal. Primary client, unknown. Average strike time, two days." A monotone voice pronounced.

"…."

"Why, hello Inui. How kind of you to join us."

"However, the fact that Yukimura gave us an open-ended warrant of one year to capture him indicates that the percentage of us catching him in that time is only 76.674. Not even Sanada's team could catch him."

"Saa…looks like this Prince is a tough one."

* * *

As they walked down the street, none of them could seem to shake off the apprehensive cloud floating around them. Who could blame them? Their record was the best one in Tokyo Police-all missions completed. But here was this thief named Prince, threatening to put a blemish on that perfect record.

"Saa...Inui, is that all the data you have?" Fuji asked, eyes still closed, frowning gently.

Inui adjusted his glasses as he hesitantly cleared his throat. "..Hem...well. There was one part I have neglected to mention."

"What is it? What is it?" the two most hyper of the Seishun squad asked.

Inui looked uncomfortable. He fiddled around with his notebook once he reached the page on Prince, and adjusted his glasses far more times than necessary. Finally, he looked up. "I am not comfortable citing this as evidence. According to my calculations, my estimate is only 62.45 percent reliable in this case."

Tezuka stared steadily at Inui before saying, "I don't care about the reliability factor, Inui. The fact that you have information that could help the case is what matters. I want to hear it, now."

Grimacing, Inui looked down at his notebook.

"According to the data I have gathered, Prince supposedly shows himself to the team assigned to catch him. However, this unusual event occurs only once in each team's investigation period. Sanada mentioned something about seeing Prince, but he did not seem entirely certain of his observation."

Tezuka frowned. If this Prince showed himself to enough people for this rumor to be caught by Inui, shouldn't they have more reliable statistics on him by now?

The others were similarly lost in their thoughts, but were jolted out by another nervous cough from Inui.

"In addition to this unusual habit, some rumors have crossed my path that seems to link the Prince with our own Kaidoh. After some in-depth research, however, I can find no single reliable evidence that the rumor is true. Kaidoh himself has discussed with me regarding this matter."

Everyone was momentarily stunned by this announcement. Kaidoh, connected with the elusive Prince? The most quiet and introverted of their team, somehow connected to a mastermind thief?

Kaidoh himself was puzzled regarding the issue. Out of the Seishun squad, only Tezuka and Inui knew about his criminal past, and only Inui knew that Kaidoh made use of his criminal knowledge to help solve cases. But who was Prince? He had never run across such a person. Unless...could it be?

Team Seishun continued walking in silence.

* * *

Thank you, all of my previous readers, for not giving me a vicious verbal whipping as I clearly deserved, for my previous emo and self-pitying Author's Notes. I hope my new updates will not disappoint. My story writing skills still need a bit of work, but..well..hope you like it? (:


	2. Chapter 2: First Confrontation

Hopefully you all found Chapter 1 to be to your taste! Here is the second part of the story up to where it was written. After this chapter, the pace of the story is hopefully going to pick up. Some new characters are going to step in.

* * *

As they walked towards the scene of Prince's most recent theft, there was only one thought running through their heads: Is Prince going to show up?

When they inspected the scene, it was most puzzling. Nothing looked like it had been stolen. It looked like the family simply didn't have a phone to begin with.

Taking the lead as usual, Tezuka barked orders at the confused team. "Oishi and Kikumaru, start sketching the scene and taking photographs. Fuji, I want a comparison sketch of the family's description of their house. Inui and Kaidoh, bag and tag any evidence."

A chorus of 'Yes sir!' chimed around the room before everyone went to work. Inui and Kaidoh looked a bit at a loss. What was considered evidence when everything looked untouched?

"That's strange. He only stole the phone, right?" Fuji asked, "but the comparison notes from the family's statement mention a jewelry box and laptop as well. Where were these items before they were stolen?"

"10 points from the genius," a new voice proclaimed, "because he stole the TV as well."

As all six members of the Seishun squad whirled around at the sound of a potential threat, the only thing they saw was a short kid with a cap covering most of his face. A smirk was visible, playing across his lips.

They were silent, rendered speechless until Tezuka cleared his throat irritably and said, "Who are you? This is a crime scene; unauthorized personnel are not allowed."

The kid was silent for a moment. When he raised his eyes to meet Tezuka's, Tezuka was stunned by the ferocity in the gaze. His voice was teasing as he snarked, "You're the new investigation team, right? You should know my name my name by now."

"..Prince."

The kid smirked and said, "And 10 points to the stiff old man! That's my name."

Tezuka's lips pursed. If Inui had brought up the rumor earlier, they could have been prepared to capture Prince when he revealed himself. But now, judging by where Prince was standing and taking into account that the team was scattered around the rooms, he would have a good advantage if they gave chase.

While this exchange was going on, one member of the Seishun squad was watching with narrowed eyes.

"Nya, Kaidoh, why the evil glare?" Kikumaru asked.

Ignoring the others, he averted his eyes, mind racing at the implications of what he saw. This obviously only drew Kikumaru's attention, and by extension, everyone else in the room.

Upon seeing Kaidoh, Prince looked stunned, before recognition dawned across his features. Grinning smugly, he sauntered closer to Kaidoh, confident and careless as a cat. Tezuka noted that he was still cautious enough to keep well out of reach. "Well, well...its...not very nice to see you again, _Heaven's Serpent_."

Hissing and furious at being called out, Kaidoh replied, "Likewise, _Hell's Kitsune_. Why are you here? Earth's Warrior Maiden has already ordered you leave. You've no right on this ground." His voice was low and his teammates strained to hear what he said.

Inui watched this exchange, pencil scribbling at top speed. So Kaidoh was still thick in the underground? This was interesting. So this was the connection to Prince that Kaidoh had. Why hadn't they noticed it? Hell's Kitsune, Heaven's Serpent, Earth's Warrior Maiden. These were all prominent names in the Tokyo criminal elite.

Tilting his head back, Prince grinned mischievously. "And who says I bow to the Maiden? I am the Kitsune, just like you said."

"Nya...aren't kitsunes supposed to be good? And aren't snakes supposed to be bad?" Kikumaru whispered to Oishi, "So why-"

The Prince caught the comment and smirked, sending shivers down Kikumaru's spine.

"Oh, little fox, it's so cute when you're confused," he laughed mirthlessly, "Good and bad are such meaningless words. In the underworld, your gifts are what define you. What, your pet snake never told you this? Tsk, tsk, Kaidoh…is that any way to treat the hand that feeds you?" His voice dropped at the end, layering meaning and innuendo over the words.

Tezuka stepped forward, cutting off Kaidoh's retort. Even if the chances of actual capture were low, he had to try. Reaching for his handcuffs, he said, "We can discuss this later. At the moment, Prince, you are under arrest."

A wide grin spread across his face, and Tezuka couldn't suppress a feeling of foreboding. What had he missed? Even if Prince had a head start, Seishun's agents were well trained and armed. Capture, if not likely, was not impossible either.

Kaidoh's eyes widened. "Tezuka, no!"

Too late.

Before their very eyes, Prince jumped, aiming for the ceiling, and...

Disappeared.

Kaidoh cursed loudly. "I'll be back in a minute. Don't move." he said tersely.

Whirling, he spun and...

Disappeared as well.

Now, the only thoughts running through the remaining Seishun members was: _where the hell are they and what the hell was that?_

* * *

In a shadowed alley outside the investigation team, two figures appeared.

Eyes wary, Hell's Kitsune stood in a defensive stance, watching Kaidoh carefully.

Kaidoh saw this and frowned. "Why are you so wary, Ryoma? Do you think that lowly of me? I won't attack you. Not like this." He reached out a hand to grasp the younger boy's shoulder.

At the comforting gesture, Ryoma relaxed, but his posture was guarded and tense.

Kaidoh's eyes softened and he asked quietly, "I just wanted to know; why are you back? It's not often that you venture into the Maiden's territory. Did something happen?" His eyes watched the younger teen carefully for any reaction.

Hearing this, Ryoma averted his eyes and he whispered, "Queen is back. You know who I serve first." His voice was subdued and he stared hard at the ground. His shoulders slumped, and suddenly, Kaidoh no longer saw the strong, independent young teen, but a child who had been forced to grow up far too fast. It was always hard to remember that underneath the bravado, Ryoma was just another street kid like him, trying to survive in Tokyo's treacherous underground. He swallowed hard. Maybe this was his chance to finally do right by Ryoma, his chance to redeem himself.

"Listen to me, Ryoma. The Queen isn't your only choice. I can help you, we can help you." He spoke earnestly, willing Ryoma to believe him. "Seishun knows I used to work for the Maiden, still do. But they still protect me."

Emotions warred inside the golden eyes, and Kaidoh could tell that the prospect of safety was tempting.

Suddenly, Ryoma yelped, hand darting to his ear, where a small black hoop earring hung. Kaidoh's eyes narrowed as he focused on the earring. There was something familiar about it...

Thinking, Kaidoh remembered where he had seen those hoops. They were on all the Shadow Queen's people, a method of finding and contacting them. The Maiden had used something like that once with bandannas.

Ryoma broke into his thoughts, "I have to go now, Kaidoh. It was nice seeing you. And thanks, but no thanks. Everyone knows that the viper only strikes when you sleep. Nice try, though." His eyes were shuttered and cold now, icy yellow instead of a deep gold.

Kaidoh flinched at the harsh tone. It was clear that he hadn't been forgiven. "She's calling you, am I right?" He said cautiously, not wanting to scare the boy away again.

Said boy looked away, and muttered, "Yeah. See you around, _Serpent_." He spat the last word out as he turned around and faded away, an agile figure in the city's darkness.

* * *

Inui mumbled incomprehensibly to himself as he scribbled in his notebook. It was quite interesting, that Kaidoh seemed to know this Prince, this Hell's Kitsune, so well. His data had been correct-Kaidoh had not completely let go of his criminal past.

Fuji's smiling eyes came into view as he pushed away the notebook and replaced it with his face.

"Well, Inui, what data do you have on that intriuging young man? And what is our Kaidoh's connection with him?" the soft voice bore a sharp edge-Fuji was the only one who probably had more than a good idea of what Kaidoh was and had been, and what he was doing now. The fact that he still used a possessive pronoun towards Kaidoh boded well, however.

Shaking his head, Inui said, "I have no reliable data now. I'll be sure to tell you when I've analyzed everything. Tell Tezuka that we need to meet with Sanada's team. As soon as possible."

Eiji had been standing by and heard the last part. Waving his arms frantically, he said, "B-but Inui! Sanada's team hates us! He'll get Atobe to hire hitmen to kill us!" Clearly the last conference between the two groups had left an impact on Eiji. Momoshiro voiced his agreement, eyes still lingering on the spot where Kaidoh had last been.

Hurriedly, Oishi began to assure the panicked Eiji that while Sanada's team disliked Tezuka's team, there would be no bloodshed.

* * *

Sanada paced impatiently in the Tokyo Police headquarters conference room. Where was that idiot Tezuka and his idiot team? They had said 9:00 am sharp. It was 9:15 am already and still they were not here!

The sound of the heavy metal conference door opening interrupted his mental tirade. In stepped Tezuka, followed by a traumatized-looking Eiji, a fluttering Oishi, a smiling Fuji, two very bruised junior investigators who were glaring at each other, and a shy Kawamura who very carefully closed the door and promptly stationed himself behind the whole group.

Gritting his teeth, Sanada forced himself to speak calmly.

"Well, Tezuka, you requested to see us at _9:00_today?"

Glaring at his team, Tezuka said, "Yes. We need all the information you have on Prince."

Sneering, the vice commander of Sanada's team said, "And why should Ore-sama's team need to give precious information to plebians like you?"

"Why, you-!" Seishun's two junior investigators leaped forward.

Needless to say, not much was accomplished that day.

* * *

That's it, that's all I've got so far. I've started a bit of work on the next chapter and will hopefully have it up within the week. If you have any plot suggestions or corrections to make, do let me know! Shameless note: I did no background research on this whatsoever. The criminal structure of Tokyo in my story is based off of what I know (that is, American/British criminal structure) and what I want in my story. So if you have a correction based on the accuracy or plausibility of my criminal underworld, I'll take it into account but be warned: I don't care all that much. One of my old reviewers got it right: this is going to be a bit "Hollywood action". I like the feeling of a grand thrill and a heavy dose of drama.

Hope you like it! Please do review. Reading my old reviews was what gave me enough encouragement to give this story another shot; I'd really appreciate your feedback.


	3. Chapter 3: The Calm Before the Storm

READ THIS, DUDES:

This is NOT a 100% realistic story. I'm not going to be bringing in magic or fantasy, but this story will take as reality certain abilities that are not physically possible in the real world. There will be parts that are ninja-esque or "superman"-like under the pretense of excessive training. (ie, like Train from Black Cat).

Also, for the record, this is much easier to read if you change the page width to ¾ or ½.

* * *

"How are you, Ryoma?"

The boy in question looked up through his bangs. Queen was always like this. She danced with words, never getting to the point straight away. He always had to choose his words carefully around her. One misstep in the dance, one wrong answer, and he could be gone, nothing more than an afterthought in the Tokyo underworld. Today her veil was red, which probably meant she was in a good mood.

"I'm doing well, Queen. What're your orders?" There, that was neutral. Should be safe.

Her thin lips pursed, the red lipstick making her mouth into a stark red slash. Something about his answer dissatisfied her.

"Don't be so unpleasant, Ryoma _dear…_" Her fingernail, painted with a demure pale lavender shade, tapped the desk. A small ruby glinted on her ring. The veil was wrong, then. She was irritated. Between his meeting two days ago and their rendezvous today, something had ticked her off. The silence dragged on for a few minutes, broken only by her soft tapping. Finally, she continued, "Tokyo Police have taken their MCR team off of active duty to pursue you." Nothing he didn't know already, so that mean she was looking for a reaction.

"They can _try_." He'd meant to sound neutral again, but he couldn't help the disinterested note of cockiness. He was one of the best, and he knew it. His life as one of the Queen's people had taught him caution, but sometimes he couldn't control himself.

The red slash tilted upwards to become a wide smile as she replied, "But why are they trying?"

Ryoma frowned, puzzled. The Queen was fishing for something. But what was he supposed to say?

"Think, dear boy, _think._ I haven't sent you out to do anything more major than petty burglary in Tokyo. It's only been two weeks, I doubt those idiots in Kansai would have connected the dots and sent your file up. Not to mention, the media has conveniently given you a different name," she paused, veil fluttering as she shook her head, "So if they don't know the other incidents, why would they send their best team out to get you after four small burglaries?"

He paused to think for a moment, his face impassive while his mind whirred. She was right; there was no reason for a MCR team to be entirely focused on him when all they knew was that he was a small time burglar. A smart one, but not exactly the next big criminal mastermind. So what..

Suddenly, he had it.

"Someone's informing on us. Only someone with inside knowledge would know what the burglaries are going to lead up to, and major news like that would definitely make Tokyo PD freaked out enough to send out a MCR team." He smirked. It was nice being a genius of sorts.

Shadow Queen's laughter was gentle. Her wide, red smile was pleased as she said, "I knew I kept you around for a reason. Now, despite what I've said, I don't want you hunting down our little traitor," she let out a girlish giggle, clearly amused at his disgruntled expression, "You have bigger and better things to do, my little _Prince._ Leave it to the underlings to…take out the trash."

As he settled comfortably in the armchair next to hers, they began going over his new directives.

* * *

Tezuka surveyed the room as his team filed in. The mood was somber, the tension high. As they looked at each other, the tension became palpable when they realized that Kaidoh was not in the room. Momoshiro looked physically ill. Tezuka knew that despite the intense rivalry that his two junior investigators had with each other, they considered themselves comrades and brothers in heart. After all, when Momoshiro was rejected by a girl, he always spent the night out with Kaidoh, drowning his sorrows with a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. And when Kaidoh's customary silence slipped into depression, Momoshiro was always the first to notice, the first to offer a silent, encouraging hug.

A glance to the right told him that Oishi was not fairing any better. Though at first it would seem more likely for Inui to be close to Kaidoh, given their compatibility, something about Oishi's mothering appealed to Kaidoh's quiet, sensitive personality. They didn't spend much time together, but Tezuka knew that Oishi saw Kaidoh as a younger brother and felt responsible for his wellbeing.

As amusing as it was to watch his team tie themselves into anxious knots—_Fuji was rubbing off on him in a seriously bad way_—they had no time for speculation. He opened his mouth to put them out of their misery and said, "Kaidoh is still on the team."

There was a moment as his words were processed, and an audible collective sigh of relief came from everyone.

He continued, "You'll notice that Inui is not here today either," he paused as he watched them shuffle awkwardly, because no, they had not noticed, before continuing, "Kaidoh and Inui have been summoned by the Chief to discuss the particulars of the Prince case and decide what further action will be taken. As we all know, Inui is one of the members of the underground data commission in charge of compiling information about the current situation in Tokyo."

Momoshiro interrupted, "But what does Kaidoh have to do with that? What was that creepy shit that happened yesterday at the scene?"

Tezuka glared as he said, "_As I was about to say_, what you have not been told is that Kaidoh is on the commission as well. He is serving as an informer as well as a consultant."

The puzzled faces looking back at him told him that nobody understood what he meant.

"An informer, meaning, a former member of one of the Tokyo gangs, helping to crack the secrets he used to be a part of. Going by the conversation we heard at the scene, probably the Warrior Maiden's group or the greater Earth alliance. If he's good enough to have had a nickname like Heaven's Serpent, he must have been fairly high in the ranks. With that sort of background, he would be valuable not only as an informer, but as a consultant on how different groups will move and act. Hmm?"

Okay, one person understood.

"Right, Fuji, thank you for your deductions." The smile-eyed genius nodded in acknowledgement.

"What? Kaidoh was in a _gang_?" Taka's shock mirrored the rest of the team. Kaidoh looked surly, but it was an open secret that he had a soft heart. It was hard to imagine him being successful in the cutthroat underworld of Tokyo.

Oishi broke in with dry humor, "I think what Tezuka and Fuji are saying is that not only was Kaidoh in a gang, but he was pretty damn close to the top."

"Eh? Then why doesn't he have a great big tattoo like that guy Jin?" Eiji wondered.

"He does, it's just not on his arms. That's why he never takes his shirt off," Momoshiro replied absently. He was staring hard at the floor.

Eiji looked askance at Momoshiro and said, "How do you know, if he never takes his shirt off? Ehhhh~?" His eyebrows waggled suggestively.

"What? No! I just mean—that is—I saw it once when we were in the showers at HQ after we got caught up in that chemical explosion, that's all!" Momoshiro sputtered.

The serious atmosphere dissolved when Fuji jumped in, his quiet voice gilded with suggestive tones, as Eiji egged him on. Tezuka didn't smile, but his shoulders unclenched and relaxed. His team was a family, and it was good to see that a few skeletons in the closet wouldn't break the bond they had.

* * *

So, how was that? I'll admit it took a lot of brainpower for me to wring out even this measly chapter this quickly. I'm hoping to release a new chapter weekly from now on, and try to write more ahead of time so that if I don't finish this before uni starts, I'll have chapters ready to publish and you won't be left hanging! (although I'm on a bit of a kick right now, so you might get more than weekly updates for a while ^_^)

Please review, favorite, or alert this if you enjoyed it! As always, I would be grateful to hear your comments, advice, and suggestions as well as plot ideas if you have them.

Thanks again to those of you who alerted, favorited, and reviewed as of the last update :)


	4. Chapter 4: Mission Report

This chapter was a lot harder to figure out. Lot of dialogue in this one, sorry. Inui just got away from me! Grabbed the mic and ran, I swear.

Hope you enjoy my lame acronyms and that this chapter clears up some things.

* * *

_11:00 AM _

Meeting of the **T**okyo **E**spionage of **N**oninterventional **N**ational **I**nformation **S**ector.

"And today's primary report is from Inui and Kaidoh of the Tezuka team. Inui?"

Kaidoh shifted uneasily in his seat as Inui stood up to give his report. He had willingly joined the TENNIS commission when Cel, the MCRT supervisor, had approached them about it. After all, TENNIS would not interfere with his team duties. Being a strictly noninterventional sector, they specialized in information gathering and left the majority of the action to other federal agencies. But the information that Inui had to share as well as what data he had gathered from Sanada's team would definitely turn heads. He listened to Inui with one ear, focusing instead on the faces of the other commission members.

Inui shuffled his papers and pushed his glasses up before looking up. Clearing his throat, he began, "The Tezuka team, as you all know, is currently focused full time on the Prince case. This morning, we had a joint meeting with the Sanada team in order to exchange case notes. There are a few primary notes that are of interest to the TENNIS commission."

He gestured to Kaidoh, who began to set up a projector. His presentation was going to be complex. Several members of the commission groaned and pulled out notepads. When Inui had a big chunk of information to report, it was best to take notes or risk losing important tidbits in the midst of a cloud of monotone.

"Firstly: despite his reputation in the Tokyo region as a small time, if prolific, burglar, we have received information from the Kansai district regarding several large-scale gang related attacks that point to Prince as the primary instigator. Secondly, he follows a peculiar tradition of revealing himself once during each new investigation opened on him. Kansai has forwarded all of their notes on him. I have taken the liberty of compiling them with the information gathered by teams Sanada and Tezuka." At this, he passed out a dossier labeled 'Prince'.

While the people at the tables were flipping through the heavy folder of information, Inui turned to the projector and clicked to the first image. There was a faint, blurry photo of a young man alongside an artist's sketch of the same face.

"From what we have, the suspect is estimated to be around 160 centimeters. The original estimate in the Kansai dossier from several years ago puts him at around 151 centimeters. He has most often been spotted with black hair, although a few incidents reported a light brown color, perhaps due to hair dye. Particularly distinctive features are his eyes, which in all reports have been a light gold color. Kansai's notes specify that based on several local comb-through operations, it is likely that he either wears gold colored lenses on his missions, or brown colored lenses in everyday life, in order to avoid detection."

The next image was a map of Kansai, scattered with red dots. The commission members murmured and shuffled in their seats. The situation in Kansai was well known. In the past year, the structure of the established underground criminal network had been drastically altered. If Prince was related to the Kansai situation…

"The major incidents of interest to this commission are the gang attacks in Kansai. There are a reported 23 different events of gang warfare within the 3 years that Prince was noted to be active in that region. The media in Kansai called him the Fox, in reference to his difficulty to catch as well as his ability to cause the intrigue that apparently caused these events."

Inui paused to click past several slides, stopping at one diagram that looked like a web.

"The major criminal groups in the Kansai area _were_ the Shadow group, the Maiden group, and two minor groups known as the Red and Yellow Stars respectively. The Kansai dossier implies that the Fox, or our Prince, is thought to be linked with the Shadow group. Though we do not have specifics of the events, it is clear that the alliance between the Star groups was sabotaged, causing their strength to decrease. After the weakening of the Stars, the Shadow group took advantage of the power vacuum and quickly stepped in, absorbing by force the remnants of both smaller groups."

The next slide elicited a sharp gasp from the people in the room. Several photos of a crime scene depicted a woman in a puddle of blood, the streaks of red around her telling the story of a violent struggle.

"About a year later, the Maiden group underwent major internal turnover. From what the Kansai notes say, it appeared that there was a high-level traitor discovered in the upper ranks of the Maiden group. When the traitor was discovered, a massive gunfight occurred at a casino protected by the Maiden. In the midst of the confusion, the Maiden's Left Hand was assassinated by an unknown shooter. It was a major blow to the group, because the Left Hand also served as the Kansai-district Vice of the group. Whether or not the shooter was connected to the traitor has not been determined."

One of the committee leaders said, "But if it was in a gunfight—"

Inui smoothly interrupted him, "The gunfight was later deemed to be a diversion. The shot that took out the Kansai Vice of the Maiden group was a professional hit. One bullet in the head, as you can see from the second photograph. An informer on the Kansai committee said that the sniper was very likely Prince, or the Fox. However, there are no definite links. Several other suspects are listed in the dossier. There is still no information on the sniper's relationship with the traitor in the Maiden group."

He shuffled his notes again and sat down abruptly. The noise level of the room shot up as people began discussing what they had learned. Different sub-committees began assigning further investigations to various agents. Despite their overall low status within the Tokyo Police Department, the TENNIS commission was one of the most efficient departments in the National Information Sector. Having a puzzle like this excited everyone.

Turning to look at Kaidoh, Inui motioned for him to speak. Kaidoh stood up with a grimace. Absently, he noted that some people shuddered and looked away. Clearly, his scowl was still something to be feared. He smiled at the thought. The amusement faded as he picked up his report notes. He was never very good at these reports, and the information he had to say was going to make it even more awkward. Looking at his papers, he quickly glossed over what team Sanada had shared with them. Inui had already gone over most of the information.

Having finished the team report, he flipped to his final page and took a deep breath. This was going to be difficult.

"Along with the dossier that we have on Prince, we also have an inside line on him," he paused, waiting for the sudden exclamations to die down before continuing, "My contract as a commission consultant has recently been amended in order for me to work with more visibility within TENNIS. The additional privacy contracts you all signed at the beginning of this meeting are relevant to this as well."

There were confused looks and murmurs throughout the room. Everyone on the commission knew that Kaidoh was a valuable member of the committee because of his experience with the criminal world. He was known to be a former soldier in the associate ranks of the Maiden group. But if his contract had previously prevented his "visibility" in TENNIS, what did that mean?

Kaidoh cleared his throat uncomfortably and said, "Currently, I am still on active status in the Maiden group. I work as the Tokyo-district Vice and as the Right Hand of the Maiden."

His words were greeted with absolute silence.

* * *

End.

Well, how did you like that? I've got a lot of plans for Kaidoh and things are going to get sticky soon. Sorry that this chapter was basically all Inui and Kaidoh talking. Their meeting reports are pretty important to the plot, though, so it was a necessary thing. I'm also toying with the idea of dropping hints in my author's notes about some big things coming up in the story. Are you guys interested in that, or would you like to be surprised by whatever comes next?


	5. Chapter 5: Dancing Days

Hope you like it! **There's a little surprise in this one.**

Once again, for the record, this reads much better if you select the FF option of page width of 3/4 and (personal preference here) Arial font.

* * *

The room was bright, cheerfully lit, when Kaidoh walked in. The Maiden was not known to be the most infuriatingly happy criminal boss for nothing.

"Ah, Kai, you're here! Oh, I'm so happy to see you! Especially after that _dreadfully_ morbid voice mail you left me. Can't you be happier, dear? It would do that sour disposition of yours a lot of good. Smile a bit! Oh, I bet you frightened half of my men, walking in with that scowl. Oh, _Kai_."

Blinking at the rush of words, he settled for a noncommittal grunt. He was used to it. Being the Right Hand meant he spent an inordinate amount of time with the Maiden, and a good majority of that time was spent enduring the constant barrage of words that she happily spewed.

"Let's go somewhere to chat, okay? I've been cooped up in here for so long-that grouchy bodyguard you hired won't let me go _anywhere_-I swear I'll go mad if I sit here any longer. How about a cafe, dear? I found this lovely new creperie that I'm sure you'll love. Come, come."

Nodding mutely, he offered her his arm and in a flurry of dainty hands and flounces of lace, escorted his boss out. She wouldn't calm down enough to properly discuss things until she'd vented some of her fussing. Despite their casual exit, he made sure to check their surroundings discreetly. They were in the Earth Alliance territory, not Maiden home ground. While it was safer than Queen territory, he still felt uneasy.

His precaution proved to be premonition when, a few meters away from their destination, he felt the creeping sensation of people behind them-too close. A glance at his boss, however, kept his hands at his sides. He gripped the handgun underneath his jacket, but other than that, made no outward sign of hostility.

The Maiden had pulled out her fan, using it to cover her lower face in a ladylike manner. For all intents and purposes, she looked like a delicate noblewoman or trophy wife, wafting a lacy fan with dainty, white-gloved hands. Kaidoh knew from experience, however, that the fan hid not a demure smile but a vicious smirk.

When the attackers slid around them in the dark of the alley, hands reaching towards the Maiden, they didn't even know what had hit them.

Like a dancer in an Argentine tango, she spun into his arms (conveniently using his body as a shield, Kaidoh noted wryly) before twirling back out behind the attackers, taking them by surprise. She laughed as she moved, her fan a blur. Two strokes of the fan-as if she was executing a move from a fan dance-and two men lay on the ground before them, throats slashed by the hidden steel edge of a deceptively lacy fan.

As they stepped away, she looked at her ruined white gloves and sighed, "Kai, dear, these gloves are positively _dreadful_. The color does nothing for my skin. Do you have my second pair with you, by any chance?"

Silently, he procured the second pair from his pocket. He watched as she carefully peeled off the first pair, handing them off to him without a word. The fan, trimmed in dark red lace that showed no stain, went into a ruffled pouch at her waist. Her smiling face showed no sign of disturbance.

The Earth Alliance called Tomoka Osakada their Warrior Maiden for a reason. The enemy called her the Mad Maiden for the same reason.

He paused for a moment to turn the men over, taking note of their faces. He wiped off where his hands touched, careful not to leave fingerprints. Both were highly wanted men, mercenary hitmen well known in the underworld. Tokyo PD listed them with a reward for capture, "dead or alive". Kaidoh pulled out a phone and sent a brief text to Tezuka: '_Two from the list down in second alley from Beau Monde cafe. Reward will not be claimed_'. With a push of a button, the text was sent.

He turned to his boss and escorted her into the cafe, neither of them sparing a glance behind.

* * *

Ryoma ducked into the café's restroom, locking the door behind him. As he started to change out of his jacket and pants, he glanced into the mirror. A tall young man wearing the black gakuran of a private high school looked back, with black hair and serious brown eyes. He looked like the son of a traditional Japanese family, probably an old and prestigious one. Smirking, Ryoma finished changing and pulled out his contact case. It was troublesome, being born with his unusually light eyes. They were so distinctive that he never went out in public without colored contacts. Now, he quickly switched out the brown ones he was wearing for a pair that was lighter, subtly hazel and green. Though the difference was minute, it would change people's perception of him enough to leave a completely different person in their memory.

After folding the gakuran into his bag and changing into casual jeans and a tee-shirt, he slicked his hair back with some water and hastily tied it into a short, stubby ponytail about an inch long. Queen had been after him to grow his hair out, but Ryoma convinced her that this length was ideal. He was able pull off different looks depending on how he tied his hair, or how he styled it when it was down. It wasn't long enough to leave a strong impression, but not so short that he was limited in how he could use it.

Lastly, he changed out of the specially designed black boots, tucking them into his bag, and slipped on a pair of sneakers instead. The boots added 2 inches to his height with a hidden platform, so that he looked much older and taller when he wore them.

Now, he checked himself in the mirror quickly. A younger boy with a casual attitude and outfit looked back. His light eyes hinted at a mixed background, and his messy ponytail gave him a rebellious air. Even his bag was different: Ryoma had prepared a reversible bag that was black on one side, and colourful on the other.

He gave himself a cocky grin before he walked out. Nobody was better than him at this.

As Ryoma ambled through the café as if he was looking for a friend, he made sure to keep an eye out for his target. He didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, he saw a white-gloved hand in the corner of his eye. _Bingo._ He pulled out his phone and pretended to dial a number as he absently pulled out a chair at an empty table. Though anyone at the café would have only seen a distracted boy sitting down at a random table, Ryoma had actually chosen this table on purpose. His back was mostly turned to his target, making him less suspicious than if he had sat facing or completely away from them. He murmured some annoyed words into the dial tone about waiting for a friend who was late, _again_, before hanging up and putting in some earbuds. After pulling out a notebook and a textbook, he looked just like any other student studying in the café. For extra character, he tucked a sports magazine in the back of the book.

Instead of music, however, a spin on the dial of his MP4 played for him the voices of all the conversations around him, amplified. Within seconds Ryoma had picked out the conversation he was interested in, and clicked Record. He turned back to his textbook and continued taking notes, keeping a basic awareness of his surroundings and listening to the conversation.

It was a long conversation, but the café was near a large public school and so was often frequented by students, so he wasn't too worried. Besides, he was getting a lot of his homework done. Although he didn't attend any public or private school, Queen had insisted that he be tutored in all the basic subjects, so that he would always have a good base of knowledge to use on missions. It was a sound point, although sometimes he resented the extra work.

When he heard shuffling and the click of plates being taken, he realized that the conversation was almost over. From the sound of it, they had finished the important parts of the discussion. He didn't move to pack up—it would be too suspicious for him to leave at the same time they did.

It was then that he heard it. In the bustle, it would have been so easy to miss.

"_Oh, and make sure to remind them. Tomorrow at the dome, alright?"_

And right after that, even quieter:

" _I'll be so unhappy if they missed such an important Enterprise Association meeting."_

He viciously quashed the desire to laugh in triumph.

Queen would be pleased, oh yes.

* * *

_**READ THIS IT IS IMPORTANT:**_

I'm at a point now where I don't really know which direction I want to take the story..so give me your advice! I know I still need to work on how Kaidoh is working on the committee, but I also wanted to start developing one of my OCs that will play a big role in the story. Beyond that, I'm lost.

What would you guys like to see happen? Any particular plot points you're interested in? Please let me know! And as usual, your feedback on this chapter, please! It's not one of my best, nor was it particularly fun to write.

Sidenote: This chapter was a **nightmare** to write. Maiden just _would not _translate as nicely into words as she was in my head. Sorry for any problems.

My point in showing Ryoma's careful transformation is to show that he's not just a pretty face in a gang..he's got skills and he knows how to use them. Eyes, for instance, are one of the most defining aspects of someone's face and by changing them (even subtly) he's able to create a new persona. Having his hair drawn back is important too (not only for the imagery of Samurai Nanjiroh, which I'm sure nobody thought of because it isn't really emphasized)-soneone who has their face exposed like that normally isn't someone who is hiding anything. So that makes him less of a suspicious figure, even if he looks like a teenage ruffian with a ponytail.


	6. Chapter 6: Premonitions of?

Hello everyone, sorry for the delay. I know I implied that updates would be more frequent, but the start of university brought an unholy mass of complications to deal with and writing was put on the back burner. Finally, I was able to finish up this chapter though. Also, Cel is my own OC, not someone from the PoT universe. Just to clear up any confusion.

* * *

"Is this _really_ what she said?"

"Yes, Queen," Ryoma confirmed for the second time. He suppressed a small smile. The fact that the always cool and composed Shadow Queen was surprised about the information he'd gathered was _awesome._ Despite the fact that she called him her prodigy and insisted that she respected him, some of the glances she cast in his direction were more fit for an owner humouring a favoured pet kitten than a mentor to a student.

Now, she tapped a perfectly manicured nail against her cheek before her red lips curled into a wide smile.

"Well done, Ryoma. _Very _well done," she said, her voice rich with approval. Queen's eyes were covered by a veil as usual, but he could feel her looking at him.

A warm glow of happiness rushed through him at her words. He worked hard to make her proud, worked hard to prove that her gamble on a scrawny street kid was not wasted. And being in her favour made life a lot easier.

She beckoned him towards the chair by her desk, much closer than the formal chair he usually sat in.

"Come, then, my little fox. We have plans to make and a party to crash," she said with a smirk, "Tell me what you think."

Ryoma took a moment to rifle through his notes. The conversation had been long and sprinkled with seemingly meaningless topics. Further study had revealed what was really being said, however.

"The most important thing is the Enterprise Association meeting they are talking about. E-A are the initials of the Earth Alliance, so it's likely that the Maiden's people will be meeting with their partners, the Southpaw group. Though she said 10 pm, she said it in English, so they will probably be having a mass gathering with their New York branch, maybe through video cam, at 12 noon Japan time," he paused, "The dome is straightforward. The only building in Tokyo with a distinctive dome is the tennis association building. They have meeting rooms in the basement underneath the courts, although they're not very popular because of their expense and the environment."

"Excellent. So what do you suppose we ought to do?" Gone was the wide smile and the amused voice, replaced with a brisk, businesslike tone.

He took a controlled breath. This was the most important part—he would have to be very careful. If he wanted to impress Queen, his idea had to be sound and effective. Any holes in the plan would be unacceptable.

* * *

Tezuka walked briskly to the meeting room. Inui's information and the Kansai notes had been…enlightening. Now that the team had been debriefed on the situation, all there was left to do was break Kaidoh's status to them. He had specifically requested to the Director for the meeting room to be silenced and the area around it had been shut down under the pretence of maintenance.

He reached the room just as Momoshiro and Eiji were walking in. When he entered, he took note of the people already in the room. Good, the team was all there.

"So, why all the secrecy, Tezuka? Don't think I didn't notice all those maintenance signs outside. And who would have guessed that the Director's office had a secret stairwell leading down to the back rooms?"

"Yeah, Oishi, I saw that too! When Momo and I walked in, the window on the left was taped over from the outside," Eiji said, " And who knows why the Director needs a secret passageway?"

He pursed his lips and spoke abruptly, cutting off Eiji's rambling, "Today will be your final debriefing before we being our investigation into Prince. We also have a possible undercover op to discuss."

When his words were met with confused silence, he gestured to Kaidoh, who reluctantly stood up while Tezuka himself took a seat. Instantly, all the eyes in the room were focused on Kaidoh. Silence settled over them uneasily. Despite their faith in their teammate, nobody could deny that strange things had happened and it seemed that Kaidoh was tangled in something.

Kaidoh's grimace only deepened. _Well, better to get it over with._

"I'm currently working as the Tokyo vice and Right Hand of the Maiden," he paused while that blunt statement sunk in, and then continued ruthlessly, "We're going to try to put someone, probably Eiji or Momoshiro, undercover into the Maiden group. I can vouch for you if anything goes wrong, which puts this at a level 4 risk operation instead of a level 6. According to the intelligence put together by the TENNIS commission, Prince is currently active in the Shadow group. He's reportedly been very close with the leader of the group herself, a woman commonly known as the Queen."

Inui stepped in then, seeing Kaidoh's stressed face and brittle demeanor. "There is virtually no intelligence on Queen. She became a significant figure in the underworld less than 10 years ago, and her personal assistants and bodyguards are rumoured to be extraordinarily paranoid and protective of her. The former leader of the Shadow group supposedly gave her his blessing before vanishing. Some suspect that the handover was actually more of a bloodless coup. In any case, her influence must have already been strong, because there was little to no violence or opposition to her succession," he looked up from his notes, eyes burning with a peculiar fire, "If you look through your dossier on Prince, you'll find that he appears to have been active in the Shadow group beyond Tokyo as well. Murmurs in the underworld indicate that he is of particular importance, perhaps even the Queen's protégé. This is critical to our search."

Tezuka then stood up again, signalling for Inui and Kaidoh to sit down. The part of his mind (a very small part, he reassured himself) that had been corrupted by Fuji was amused to see the team collectively tense up even further at the prospect of some other shocking piece of information.

"I just have a small addition to make to the debriefing. Cel, our MCRT supervisor, has also been taken off of MCRT duties and will be serving as the supervisor for this case. Her security clearance is high enough to discuss most things on the case. However, Kaidoh's particular position will remain classified. I'm sure you all understand that he is risking his life by taking an active role in this case."

He took a moment to examine their expressions. He had tacked on that last line, because he couldn't help but be worried that Eiji and Momoshiro, being both prone to snap judgements and overexuberance, would make some rash decisions. Eiji had Oishi to temper his foibles, but Momoshiro and Kaidoh had a special relationship. One that was put at risk by these new revelations.

As he watched, Momoshiro's face went through a series of minor contractions before settling on a grimace, jaw tightly clenched as he looked intently at Kaidoh. This did not bode well.

* * *

Well? Well? How did you like it?

_**A few important notes:**_

I have NOT said who Queen is. Nor have I mentioned the Southpaw group before this. I'd like to hear your guesses (Southpaw should be easy, Queen...is supposed to be difficult.)

A few of you gave me some good suggestions, and I tried to bring the story in a direction that seemed to fit best. Please give me feedback, and if you have any ideas you think would be good/you would like to see in the story, let me know! Feed my plot bunnies :)


	7. Chapter 7: A Deep Perception

Hey everyone! I have no excuses for the late update, other than..I'm stuck. I know where the story is going, but now how to get there. :( so sorry for the lateness. And for the kind of lame chapter.

This chapter is Cel-centric. She's going to play a major role in the story, so I want to explore her mind a little more.

* * *

Cel sat down with the team—her team, if she let herself think about it in a backwards, loose way. She was the MCRT supervisor, but Tezuka's team seemed to operate on some unknown set of rules specifically designed to frustrate their superiors. Even the main handler for the infamous Atobe team cast her looks of pity whenever they had a seminar on "team discipline".

"Alright, brief me."

Inui picked up all of the mission papers and began to list out the details to her in his monotonous voice.

"Eiji was introduced initially, due to his senior rank on the team and prior undercover experience. We had originally considered Tezuka or Fuji. They do have the most experience on the team. But they are also the most visible and likely to be recognized."

That was interesting. She hadn't known that. But the attempt couldn't have been successful, or Eiji wouldn't be sitting in front of her now, looking disgruntled. A quick glance around told her that Momoshiro was missing. Most interesting indeed. With his quick temper, he seemed to be the least suited for undercover work out of the entire team. Perhaps there was something she hadn't noticed.

"However, the initial approach was rebuffed. The Maiden group has been more selective than we anticipated, and they aren't looking for men of Eiji's type to work in the lower levels."

Kaidoh interjected, "However, Eiji approached from a non-direct angle. He contacted a subsidiary firm affiliated with the group. It is still possible that he has potential in another angle of initial contact. I doubt the higher-ups would see fit to consult the subsidiary hired thugs on their choices. They'll be in unrelated areas of expertise, anyway."

Inui nodded and said, "We then sent Momoshiro in to initiate contact. He was successful, and in the two weeks running, has insinuated himself into a stable position. The primary goal of today's meeting is to decide whether he should attempt to advance his role."

Inui snapped the portfolio shut, and Cel felt her own satisfaction snap into place as well. Everything was going well. She tapped a white tipped nail on the table, thinking about the situation. The rest of the team looked pensive as well.

Oishi interrupted the thoughtful silence, looking at Tezuka for permission as he did so. A little kick of irritation fluttered past her; who was the superior here anyway? She quashed it mercilessly. There was no time to deal with petty emotion, not when their entire operation rested on making sure Momoshiro getting a good start in the organization.

"I'm not sure what you know of the situation with the Tokyo groups at large, Cel, but Inui and—Tezuka went over the specific details with us before. I think while we still have Momoshiro in a good place, we should gather intel from that location before making another move. The risks involved in advancing this early are too great."

Cel pursed her lips as she considered his words. At face value, it made sense. Solidify Momoshiro's position before diving into anything else. If they moved too fast, they would risk exposure and therefore danger to Momoshiro and the operation, as well as lose out on potentially valuable information from the lower ranks. But something about Oishi's words made her pause in her thinking. He clearly had been about to say someone else's name. He covered it up well by saying Tezuka's name, but she was sure of it.

Her mind flipped rapidly through the other members of the team. Eiji was a possibility since he was part of the failed initial operation. He might have picked up something useful. Taka she dismissed without further thought. He had no connections to the underworld and was too softhearted to maintain them even if he had them. That left Fuji and Kaidoh. Fuji's background was ominously blank, and he was infamous in the department for it. Blank personnel files meant one of two things: highly ranked, former intelligence operative with a sealed government file, or highly ranked former underworld member under a protection contract. She marked Fuji as one to watch. Kaidoh had a history, she knew, but his files didn't indicate any particular notoriety or high rank. After a moment of consideration, she placed him third on her list. He was no longer active in the underworld, and Eiji had more fresh information at hand.

Decision made, she murmured her agreement to Oishi and took a backseat in the ensuing discussion of Momoshiro's continued operation and strategies for to advance his position in the future.

In her mind, she mulled over the few facts she had.

They had clearly felt that this case was somehow critical to them. To have gone so far as to proceed with the initial probe operation without her approval or knowledge indicated that they did not expect interference on her part. They wanted her to play the silent supervisor. In fact, if her reading of Oishi was right, they were deliberately keeping her in the dark when it came to the crucial decision-making points. She pursed her lips again, careful not to smear her lipstick. Somewhere along the way, Prince had burrowed his way into the team, making them obsessive and focused to this extent. How…Interesting.

* * *

So, what did you think? I've been more interested in seeing how the characters tick, so my writing seems to have leaned that way. If there's anything in particular you would like more explanation of or you would like me to explore more in depth, please let me know.

Please review! It really encourages me and tells me that I'm doing something right with this story. And if you DON'T like how the story is going, please give me your opinion and maybe some pointers on how to improve. Thanks!


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